Kesteven & Sleaford High School 11 plus: parents’ guide for 2022

Kesteven & Sleaford High School is a girls’ grammar school (with co-educational sixth form) located in the small market town of Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The school is a member of the Robert Carre Trust, along with Carre’s Grammar School and Sleaford Joint Sixth Form.

Ofsted reported that a key strength of the school is the way that school improvement is seen as everyone’s responsibility. Staff feel empowered and hold each other accountable for pupils’ achievement, with parents and pupils commenting on a strong sense of community and belonging within the school and the Robert Carre Trust.

11 plus information for Kesteven & Sleaford High School

• Address: Kesteven & Sleaford High School, Jermyn Street, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7RS

• County: Lincolnshire

• Admissions contact: [email protected], 01529 414044

• School type: girls’ grammar (co-ed sixth form)

• Number of pupils: 760

• Number of places in Year 7: 124

• Open day: Open week from Monday 4th July to Friday 8th July (mornings only). Bookings are by appointment only. There will also be open events on Tuesday 5th July 2022 (5.00–7.00pm) and Wednesday 19th October 2022 (9.15am–12 noon). Refer to all open dates here.

• 11 plus exam date: Saturday 17th and Saturday 24th September 2022

• Exam board: GL Assessment (Lincolnshire Consortium of Grammar Schools)

Kesteven & Sleaford High School term dates

The term dates for Kesteven & Sleaford High School in 2022-23 are:

• Autumn term: 6th September – 16th December

• Half term: 21st – 28th October

• Spring term: 4th January – 31st March

• Half term: 13th – 17th February

• Summer term: 17th April – 21st July

• Half term: 29th May – 2nd June

Admissions process for 11 plus at Kesteven & Sleaford High School

Lincolnshire parents must apply for a place at Kesteven & Sleaford High School directly to the Local Authority, using a Common Application Form. Parents who live outside of Lincolnshire must apply for a place a the school using a different application form (provided by their own Local Authority).

In conjunction with the other grammar schools in Lincolnshire, Kesteven & Sleaford High School requires its candidates to reach a minimum qualifying standard to be considered eligible for a place. This is an aggregate standardised store of 220 (combined across both tests). This is to identify the top 25% of children by ability that live in an area of Lincolnshire served by a grammar school.

If the number of children who achieve this qualifying standard exceeds the 124 places available in Year 7, Kesteven & Sleaford High School will apply oversubscription criteria to allocate places. Take a look at Kesteven & Sleaford High School’s admissions policy for further details.

Letters with the outcome of the 11 plus exam will be posted to parents on Friday 14th October 2022, and the school will write to the parents/carers of those who have been offered a place on Thursday 2nd March 2023.

How and when to apply to Kesteven & Sleaford High School

The deadline for the 11 plus exam at Kesteven & Sleaford High School has now passed. However, you will also need to apply for a school place on the Lincolnshire County Council website before 31st October.

The 11 plus exam format at Kesteven & Sleaford High School

There are two 11 plus papers, on two separate dates, for entry to the Lincolnshire Grammar Schools:

• Saturday 17th September: Verbal reasoning test at Kesteven & Grantham Girls’ School

• Saturday 24th September: Non-verbal reasoning test at Kesteven & Grantham Girls’ School

Practice papers for verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning tests will be made available to Lincolnshire feeder primary schools in June. These are representative of the actual tests, but not identical.

Take a look at our complete guides to 11 plus verbal reasoning and 11 plus non-verbal reasoning as well as our guide to the Lincolnshire Grammar Schools 11 plus exam.

How to prepare for the 11 plus at Kesteven & Sleaford High School

The most effective way to prepare for the 11 plus is by starting early and breaking down the different sections of the test into smaller, manageable parts. Encourage your child to get familiar with the different exercises, celebrate their progress, and work with them to improve any weaker areas. It’s also a good idea to prepare your child for exam day as this gets closer, with online mock tests to help them practise time management.

Your child may encounter different questions on the 11 plus to the ones they’re used to from school, so it’s vital to introduce them to sample questions and familiarisation materials that use the same format as the Lincolnshire 11 plus. Some free 11 plus exercises are available online, but these won’t all be in the same style as the Lincolnshire 11 plus, so make sure you’re choosing ones that will give your child an accurate idea of what to expect.

Kesteven & Sleaford High School sends practice papers to local primary schools in June, which are normally administered during the summer term. If your child attends a primary school that does not administer the practice tests, they will be invited to attend these at Kesteven & Sleaford High School on the morning of Saturday 18th June 2022.

How Atom Learning can help your child prepare for the 11 plus at Kesteven & Sleaford High School

We have over 90,000 teacher-written practice questions, video tutorials, live exam preparation courses and unlimited mock tests that mirror the format of the 11 plus at Kesteven & Sleaford High School, all designed to help your child feel prepared and confident on exam day.

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We know how crucial this time is, so our team is on hand to support you and your family every step of the way. You can book a call with one of our Education Experts to ask any questions you may have about Kesteven & Sleaford High School or the Lincolnshire Grammar Schools 11 plus:

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